A friendly, autonomous robot that delivers your food | Ali Kashani

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

Food delivery.

食物外送。

It's the thing that saves millennials from starvation.

它能夠拯救千禧世代免於餓死。

By my calculations,

依我的計算，

Americans order over 20 million restaurant deliveries

美國人每天會訂購

超過兩千萬趟餐廳外送。

every single day.

Over half of these deliveries are actually within walking distance.

這些外送當中有一半以上 其實都是走得到的距離。

But nine out of 10 are delivered in cars.

但有九成是開車外送。

So basically,

所以，基本上，

we are moving a two-pound burrito

我們是用兩公噸的汽車， 運送兩磅的墨西哥捲餅，

in a two-ton car

20 million times a day.

一天要運兩千萬次。

The energy to bring you that burrito

把墨西哥捲餅送給你所用的能源，

is actually bringing you a two-ton metal cage

其實是把將裝有加熱椅的 兩公噸重金屬籠子帶給你。

with heated seats.

Let's be honest.

坦誠點吧。

We are addicted to our cars.

我們對我們的汽車成癮。

Did you know that in America,

你知道嗎，在美國，

for every car, there are four parking spots?

每一台汽車就對應有四個停車位？

In some downtowns,

在某些鬧區，

over half of the real estate is for cars.

超過一半的地產是給汽車用的。

We have designed our cities around our cars,

我們以我們的汽車 為中心來設計城市，

because we drive whether we're going two miles

因為不論我們要去的地方是兩英里 或兩百英里遠，我們都開車。

or 200 miles.

Solo, or with our whole family.

自己開，或載著全家。

We get into the same SUV to go buy coffee or a coffee table.

我們也會開著同一台運動休旅車 去買咖啡或咖啡桌。

If we could free up some of these streets and parking lots,

如果我們能把這些街道 和停車位分一些出來，

we could build more housing,

我們就能建造更多住房、 更多社交空間、更多公園。

more social spaces, more parks.

But to do that,

但要做到這一點，

first, we need to rethink how we are using cars today.

我們先得要重新思考 現今該怎麼使用汽車。

In the city of the future,

在未來的城市中，

if you want to go five blocks, you summon a bike or a scooter.

如果要到五個街區外的地方， 你會呼叫重型或輕型機車。

If you're in a rush, a passenger drone would pick you up.

如果你趕時間， 載客無人機會去載你。

And if you need food, no need to have someone drive over --

如果你需要食物， 不用找人開車送來——

the food will make its way to you.

食物會自己來找你。

Let's go back to those 20 million a day restaurant deliveries.

咱們先回來談一天 兩千萬趟的餐廳外送。

If we could get these deliveries off the road,

如果把外送車程從路上除去，

we could reduce the need

光是在美國，我們對汽車的需求

for as many as one and a half million cars just in the US.

就會減少高達一百五十萬台。

That's twice the size of San Francisco.

那是舊金山大小的兩倍。

Now, think of the impact this could have on cities like Delhi,

想想看對於德里這類的城市 會有什麼樣的影響，

or my birth city of Tehran,

或我出生的城市德黑蘭，

where car pollution is killing thousands of people every year.

在那裡，每年有數千人 死於汽車污染。

So how do we get some of these deliveries off the road?

所以，我們要如何 把一些外送從路上除去？

Well, that's the question

過去三年間，我和我的團隊

that my team and I have been obsessed with over the last three years.

就一直投入在這個問題中。

And the solution is actually one of the building blocks

這個解決方案其實也是

未來城市的基礎之一。

of the city of the future.

We've been creating small, self-driving robots

我們創造出了小型自駕式機器人，

that navigate quiet alleys and sidewalks

能在安靜的巷弄 及人行道中找到方向，

on a walking pace

用行走的速度行進，

and have a secured cargo to deliver you food and supplies.

還有安全的貨倉 可以運送你的食物和用品。

Now, before I tell you more about the robots,

在我跟大家進一步 說明這種機器人之前，

let's do a quick thought experiment.

咱們先快速做一個思想實驗。

In your mind, picture a city with thousands of robots.

在你的腦海中，想像一個城市，

裡面有數以千計的機器人。

Is it this one?

是這個嗎？

This Hollywood dystopia is what a lot of people expect.

很多人預期的會是這種 好萊塢式的反烏托邦。

But our job is to create a friendly future that's designed for people.

但我們的工作是要 創造出友善的未來，

為人民而設計。

So instead of making aliens,

所以，我們不是要做外星人，

we set out to create robots that are familiar.

而是要創造出讓人熟悉的機器人。

Robots that would belong in our communities.

屬於我們社區的機器人。

But we also wanted a little surprise.

但我們也想要有一點驚奇。

Something unexpectedly delightful.

出乎意料但又讓人愉快的驚喜。

Think about it.

想想看，你走在街上，

You're walking down the street,

and you see your very first robot.

你第一次遇到機器人。

That's the moment when you're going to decide

你會在那一刻決定

if this is a future you love or fear.

是要喜愛還是害怕這個未來。

And with a lot of people having these dystopian ideas,

已經有很多人有著 反烏托邦的想法，

we need to open their minds.

我們需要打開他們的心。

We want to surprise and delight them,

我們想要給他們驚喜，

so that we can win them over on first impression.

這樣我們才能在第一印象 就贏得他們的心。

This is what we came up with.

這就是我們想出來的。 它讓人感到熟悉，

It's familiar, but it's also surprising.

卻也有驚奇。

It's just a shopping cart,

它只是一台購物車，

but it also looks like we crossbred WALL-E with Minions.

但它也像是瓦力和小小兵的混種。

If you live in San Francisco or Los Angeles,

如果你住在舊金山或洛杉磯，

chances are one of these has already delivered your food.

可能已經有這種機器人 幫你做過外送了。

As soon as we put robots out on the street,

我們才剛把機器人送上街頭，

we learned some really interesting problems.

就發現非常有趣的問題。

Like, how should robots cross the road?

比如，機器人該如何過馬路？

Or how should robots interact with people with visual or mobility impairments?

或者，機器人要如何

和視障或身障人士互動？

We quickly realized that we need to teach our robots

我們很快就發現，我們得要教導

我們的機器人怎麼和人溝通。

how to communicate with people.

People on the sidewalk come from every walk of life,

在人行道上會遇到各行各業的人，

so we needed to create a new language,

我們得要創造出新的語言，

kind of a universal language

某種通用語言，

so people and robots can understand each other

讓人和機器人能馬上

right off the bat.

理解彼此。

Because no one is going to be reading user manuals.

因為沒有人會去讀使用者手冊。

We started with eyes, because eyes are universal.

我們從眼睛著手， 因為眼睛語言是共通的。

They can show where the robot is going

眼睛能顯示機器人要去哪裡

or if it's confused.

或者它感到困惑。

Plus, eyes make robots more human.

此外，眼睛讓機器人 看起來更像人。

We also used sounds.

我們也用了聲音。

For example, we created this running sound

比如，我們創造了跑步聲，

with frequent gaps

帶有頻繁的間斷，

so that people with visual impairments could locate their robots

讓視覺障礙的人可以靠都卜勒效應

知道機器人的所在。

using the Doppler effect.

But it turned out these were not enough.

但，結果發現這樣還不夠。

At intersections,

在十字路口，汽車會直接 從機器人前面切過去。

cars would cut in front of our robots.

Drivers were getting confused sometimes,

駕駛人有時會很困惑，

because robots would take too long before they started crossing.

因為機器人光要開始過馬路 就要花太長的時間。

Even ordinary pedestrians were getting confused.

就連一般的路人都會感到困惑。

Sometimes, they couldn't figure out on which side to pass the robots,

有時，他們不知道要從 機器人的哪一側超過它，

because robots make a lot of small adjustments to their direction

因為機器人在移動過程中

會對方向做很多小修正。

as they move.

This actually sparked a new idea.

這讓我們發想出了新點子。

What if we used movement to create a universal language?

如果我們用移動 來創造通用語言呢？

Like, at intersections,

比如，在十字路口，

robots would gently move forward before they start crossing,

機器人在開始過馬路之前， 會先溫和地向前移動，

to signal to drivers that it's their turn.

示意駕駛該輪到它過馬路了。

If they see someone in a wheelchair,

如果機器人看到坐輪椅的人，

they yield by pointing themselves away from the sidewalk,

它會將自己的方向從人行道上 轉移到旁邊，進行禮讓，

to signal that they're not going to move.

表示它此時不會移動。

Some of you may remember this.

有些人可能會記得這件事。

In 2015, Canadian researchers sent a robot hitchhiking across the US.

2015 年，加拿大研究者送了

一個機器人去搭便車橫越美國。

It didn't get very far.

它沒有走很遠。

It turns out that robots can also use some social skills.

結果發現，機器人 也需要一些社交技巧。

Like, if they're being tampered with,

比如，如果有人去玩弄它們時。

Carnegie Mellon researchers have shown that small toy robots should play dead,

卡內基美隆大學的研究者證明，

小型玩具機器人應該要裝死，

because people feel bad when they think they broke it.

因為人會誤以為自己 把它弄壞了而感到抱歉。

But delivery robots aren't toys,

但外送機器人不是玩具，

they're not small, they are out there in public.

它們體積不小， 它們身處在公共場合。

We found that with delivery robots,

我們發現，就外送機器人來說，

to get people to stop tampering,

若要讓路人別再玩弄它，

robots need to show awareness.

機器人必須要展現意識。

It's kind of the opposite of playing dead.

這和裝死剛好相反。

In this case,

在我們的情況中，機器人 得要答理被玩弄的情況，

robots need to acknowledge the situation

to get people to step away.

才能讓路人退開。

Also, a word of advice.

此外，我有個建議。

If you are a robot and you see small kids,

如果你是機器人且看到了小孩子，

run towards the closest adult.

要跑向最近的成人。

It turns out that some kids just love harassing robots.

結果發現，有些孩子 就很喜歡騷擾機器人。

So besides dystopia,

除了反烏托邦之外，

Hollywood also promised us some really cool robots

好萊塢也讓我們會 幻想出一些很酷的機器人，

that would run our errands or keep us company.

會幫我們跑腿或陪伴我們。

So far, we've really focused on food delivery,

目前，我們的焦點都在食物外送，

but in the future,

但在未來，

these robots can do more.

這些機器人可以做更多。

Like, they could gather excess food and bring it to shelters every night.

比如，它們可以 去收集多餘的食物，

每晚送到庇護所。

Because in America, we waste 30 percent of our food,

因為在美國，我們 浪費掉了三成的食物，

while 10 percent of our people experience food insecurity.

但有一成的人 經歷糧食不安全的狀況。

These robots could be part of the solution.

這些機器人可以成為 部分的解決方案。

Or when we have hundreds of robots running around cities,

或者，當我們城市裡 有數百個機器人跑來跑去時，

we could have robots carry emergency medications at all times,

我們就能讓機器人 隨身攜帶緊急藥物，

just in case someone nearby has an allergic reaction

以免附近有人發生過敏反應

or an asthma attack.

或是氣喘發作。

These robots could be on-site within a minute or two,

這些機器人可以在一、 兩分鐘內就趕到現場，

faster than anyone else.

比任何人都快抵達。

And during pandemics,

在疫情期間，

robots can be a key part of our infrastructure.

機器人可以成為基礎服務 很重要的一部分。

They can ensure

它們能確保

that we can provide our communities with the essential needs

我們能在急難時將基本需求品

even during emergencies.

提供給社區。

Let me leave you with one last thought.

讓我留給大家最後一個想法。

Today, objects can't get from A to B without human help,

現在，物體要從 A 地到 B 地，

一定要有人類協助才能辦到，

because our three-dimensional world is quite complex.

因為我們的三維世界相當複雜。

But new sensors and AI can change that.

但，新的感測器 和人工智慧可以改變這一點。

In a way, technology is like a baby

某種程度上，科技就像個嬰兒，

that has just learned to recognize objects and understand words,

才剛剛學會認識物體、了解話語，

and maybe even hold a basic conversation,

甚至進行簡單的對話，

but it hasn't learned to walk yet.

但它還沒學會走路。

Now, we are teaching technology

現在，我們在教導科技

how to navigate the three-dimensional world

如何不靠我們的協助 就能在三維世界中找到方向。

without our help.

We are entering this new era

我們正要進入這個新紀元，

where insentient objects are going to get up and move freely.

無生命的物體將會起身，自由地移動。

And when they do,

一旦做到了，

we've got to make sure they don't look like aliens.

我們會確保它們 看起來不會像外星人。

My vision for the future is that when things come to life,

我對未來的遠景是

當物體活過來時 是帶著喜悅活了過來。

they do so with joy.

You know, less like the movie "Terminator"

你們知道的，不要像電影 《魔鬼終結者》那樣，

and more like "Toy Story."

要比較像《玩具總動員》。

Thank you.

謝謝。